Practice FCE (B2) Listening Test 17 with Answers and Audioscripts

1 A   2 B   3 C   4 A   5 A   6 C   7 C   8 B

Audioscripts

1   You hear a message on an answering machine.

Man:   Hi Chris … Mark here … I’m having a get-together at my house with a few friends this Saturday to celebrate my new job. It would be great to see you … We’re starting at about eight but feel free to arrive when you want. Why don’t you stay the night so we can spend some time together the next day? Give me a ring and let me know if you can make it.

2   You hear a conversation between a father and daughter.

Father:   So when are we going to get your computer looked at?

Daughter:   Can we go to the shop on Friday? I’d sort it out myself but it’s too heavy for me to carry.

Father:   Are you coming home first or shall I meet you in town? I can bring the computer with me and see you in the shop.

Daughter:   Um, I’ll meet you there. I’ll make an appointment and let you know what time to be there.

3   You hear a lecturer making an announcement to students.

Lecturer:   I’ve just come to let you know about the arrangements for the exams next week. As you know, we’ve got building work going on at the moment and we don’t want the noise to affect your concentration. There’s a rumour going around that the exams are going to be cancelled but all we’re doing is moving the exam room to the conference centre. If you don’t know the building, …

4   You hear a radio interview with a man talking about tennis.

Man:   So anyway, the idea is we organise fun tennis matches for people who just want to turn up before or after work. We have all these tennis courts that are unused and it’s a great way to get people active. We supply the rackets and balls – and some cold drinks. All people have to do is turn up and play for … ten minutes, half an hour – however long they want.

5   You hear a guide talking about an exhibition in an art gallery.

Guide:   … And this is our latest installation by a new artist, Jason Roberts. We often host small installations but this is the first time we’ve had the pleasure of organising a show on such a large scale. The work takes up most of the main exhibition hall and visitors are invited to walk around and through the work, exploring the different effects the artist has produced depending on where the viewer is standing.

6   You hear two people talking about a restaurant.

Man:   Have you tried that new restaurant? We went there last night. I’d heard it was good.

Woman:   Yes, we went there last week. I had a lovely fish dish.

Man:   I chose the fish too and yeah, it was delicious. But my wife complained that the portions were too small.

Woman:   Well, it’s not the kind of place that puts a lot of food on your plate. They just have a reputation for good quality food.

7   You hear an interview with an author about his new book.

Presenter:   Your new book is unlike your previous works, isn’t it?

Author:   Yes, I’m known for crime thrillers and I’ve no intention of moving away from this genre but I couldn’t get the idea of this historical romance out of my mind.

Presenter:   Did you enjoy the change?

Author:   It was different and the research into the historical facts was fascinating. I have to research a lot for crime stories but the historical angle was really enjoyable.

8   You hear two students discussing a presentation.

Boy:   Well, I’m glad that’s over. I’ve been worried about that presentation all week.

Girl:   I was the same when I did mine. The night before I kept thinking: what could go wrong?

Boy:   It’s natural to feel anxious, isn’t it? But the thought of standing up in front of people is worse than actually doing it. Towards the end, I was enjoying myself.

Girl:   Well, the more times we do it, the easier it’ll become.

9 (school) playground   10 correct order

11 colour   12 young children

13 different times   14 map

15 mobile phone signal   16 record

17 long trousers   18 introduction

Audioscripts

Man:   For those of you who haven’t a clue what orienteering’s about, this is a quick introduction. Orienteering is an adventure activity that involves getting from point A to point B. Organisers set up a course which can be anywhere out of doors: forests, open countryside, even in small, controlled environments such as a school playground. The courses have several stages between the start and end points, and the idea is to navigate around the course as quickly as possible, checking in at each stage in the correct order.

Distances vary but are often between one and ten kilometres. The level of difficulty is easy to identify as courses are colour coded. The brown and black courses are aimed at serious cross-country runners and are extremely challenging. However, for people new to orienteering, there are easier white and yellow courses. These courses are also popular with older people or people doing the course with young children, so if you simply want to take some gentle exercise, turn up and choose a suitable event.

On the day of the course, start times are staggered. In other words, people start at different times to make sure they find their way around the course by themselves. If times weren’t staggered, people should just follow each other.

There’s a small fee to register for an event. You will usually be given a free map when you register so you can follow the course. You’ll need to bring a compass and it’s a good idea to have a whistle. In some locations you won’t be able to pick up a good mobile phone signal, so the whistle might be the only way of letting others know you’re lost. You can also hire an emit card. This is an electronic gadget that allows you to record your time at each of the stages of the course.

Now, clothing. You’ll need to come prepared for conditions that can vary depending on the course and the weather, and of course, you’ll need strong walking boots or running shoes. It’s also a good idea to wear long trousers as some courses can be through high grasses and sharp brambles which can scratch your legs otherwise.

And that’s about it. If you check our website, you’ll be able to see all the events taking place in your area, and get more information about orienteering generally. We’re running an ‘Introduction to Orienteering’ event this Saturday and we organise weekly events at four different locations throughout the year. The next one takes place this coming Wednesday. Now, if anyone has any questions, I’ll be happy to answer them.

19 F   20 H   21 E   22 C   23 A

Audioscripts

Speaker 1

Woman:   I started doing voluntary work when I was seventeen. I wanted to gain some real-world skills, but I really like doing voluntary work and I’ll carry on with it even after I get a full-time job. I’ve done some driving for the charity and I serve customers in the charity shop. I also do some marketing work for them online. The skills I’ve learnt will be useful when I took for a job after university.

Speaker 2

Man:   To be honest, doing voluntary work’s got nothing to do with me wanting to give something back to society. I just found myself feeling lost when I retired. I missed meeting friends at work and feeling part of a group. I’ve always been outgoing, so I decided to help out at my local community centre. Some days I serve tea and cakes in the centre’s café or I do some gardening.

Speaker 3

Man:   I’ve been unemployed for a while and I didn’t want my children to see me sitting around when they got home from school. That’s not the kind of example I want to give them. So I decided to do some voluntary work. It forces me to get up every morning and I get back after the children finish school so they can see I’ve done a day’s work.

Speaker 4

Woman:   I meet up with others to plant flowers in the centre of our town. Last year we entered for a ‘Towns in Bloom’ competition and got a bronze medal! Before we started, there was graffiti everywhere and vandalism. But we wanted people to take pride in the area – and it seems to be working! Now there are beautiful plants in the streets. The whole place looks and feels much nicer.

Speaker 5

Man:   I have a boring job and I can’t wait to get home every evening and leave the job behind. But I’m mad about old cars and at weekends I do volunteer work at a classic car fair. The fairs are very popular and things get busy, so I help out with anything that needs doing. I absolutely love it. I can indulge my passion and meet up with others who share the same love.

24 B   25 C   26 A   27 A   28 A   29 B   30 C

Audioscripts

Presenter:   This evening we’re talking to usability expert, Simon Baldwin. Simon, what exactly is usability?

Simon:   It’s about how objects are designed, and if they’re designed in a way that makes them as effective and simple to use as possible. It’s about designing from the point of view of the user rather than creating something that just looks attractive.

Presenter:   Could you give us an example of good design?

Simon:   Yes, sure. The traditional potato peeler, the old-fashioned knife with a shortish blade at a ninety-degree angle and a slot down the length of the blade. You can see by looking at it how it works. People have been using it for years because it’s uncomplicated – and it works. It looks unimaginative but unlike some modern gadgets, it’s very easy to use.

Presenter:   What about an example of a poor design?

Simon:   Yes … I was trying to withdraw money from a cash machine at my bank the other day. They’d changed the order of instructions on the screen so that the most common choices – like asking for money – were at the top of the list, which was great. But the screen had also been changed. It was at an angle that reflected light so badly that it was difficult to see.

Presenter:   What kind of thing do you assess for usability?

Simon:   Well, I used to work with companies making household appliances. But recently usability has become important in software design and websites, which is the area I’m involved in now.

Presenter:   What’s the biggest mistake made by website designers?

Simon:   There are some technical issues which are important but … I suppose to put things simply, you must be able to find your way around a website easily. Anything that makes this difficult is going to cause problems. People shouldn’t rush the planning stage.

Presenter:   Is it a difficult area to find work in?

Simon:   Quite the opposite, actually. In the past companies were less concerned about usability but now they realise that if their site doesn’t offer users what they want easily, they’ll go elsewhere. So good web design is now seen as important and there are lots of people helping companies to do this.

Presenter:   So how do people get into the field of usability?

Simon:   You need to be comfortable with computers if you’re interested in web design, though you don’t need to be a programmer. People get into usability from different backgrounds rather than entering it directly from university. You might have experience in marketing or customer service, or you might have a background in graphic design. These are all common ways into usability.